Keyword Research for Plumbing and HVAC Contractors

For the uninitiated, search engine optimization (SEO) can seem as difficult - and as high stakes - as open-heart surgery. They’re hit with all kinds of unfamiliar terminology, tools and procedures, then told it must be done to save the health of a business. In many cases this leads to a panicked business owner who neglects or completely ignores implementing SEO into their business.

Well, you can put the scrubs and scalpel down (unless you’re into that sort of thing). SEO doesn’t have to be anywhere near as complicated as surgery. It all starts with a proper foundation, and for SEO that foundation is solid keyword research.

What is keyword research for plumbing and HVAC contractors?

Keyword research is the baseline of any SEO strategy. It’s the process of researching to find out which keywords the people you want to attract are searching for the most. For example, if someone in the city of Memphis has a leak in their bathroom sink, they might search for something like, “bathroom plumber near me,” or “plumber in Memphis.” If the problem is really bad, the query might be something like, “emergency plumbing Memphis” or “urgent plumber Memphis.”

Think of keyword research like a bridge that connects your ideal prospects with the search engine results pages that have your business listed. If your site isn’t optimized for the proper search keywords, that bridge could get pretty rickety. In the worst cases, it might not be present at all, leaving a gaping chasm between your website and your ideal clients.

There are several different tools for keyword research, including Google’s free keyword planner and paid options like SEMrush and Moz. The specific platform you use depends on your experience level and budget. When you type in a keyword term, you’re generally evaluating it on two areas: competitiveness, or how many people are paying for ads against the term, and traffic, or how many people are actually using the term.

Now let’s get into some tips for keyword research for HVAC and plumbing companies.

Balance search intent with phrasing 

As you begin typing in some test keywords to see which ones may be best for your SEO campaigns, you might run into certain phrases that are searched very often but sound pretty clumsy in the context of everyday language. For example, “best HVAC filter replacement home Atlanta” is a term that people may use to find a service provider to change a filter in their home. But if someone said this to you in a conversation, or even wrote it in an email or text, you might wonder whether they’re playing with a full deck of cards. 

Successful keyword research means balancing the awkwardness of these phrases with search intent. Try to identify keywords that are well-searched and could realistically be incorporated in your web content. Always prioritize the visitor experience instead of trying to stuff awkward phrases into your website.

Take advantage of the long tail

We’re not talking about a mouse – or any kind of animal with this one. Long tail search terms are named as such because of where they appear on a line graph of SEO search term frequency and competitiveness. The most popular search terms are less specific, searched the most, and more competitive. This area of the graph includes terms like “plumber near me” or “HVAC in Boston.” Lots of smart, well-funded marketers are devoting tons of time and energy into dominating these keywords.

As a smaller business, it’s challenging to compete in this arena. A better plan is to try to find long tail keywords. They are less competitive and less-searched, but the benefit is the people using them likely have much more specific needs. Instead of “HVAC in Boston,” you might try to target a keyword like “evaporator coil replacement Dorchester.” You won’t bring in as much traffic, but the people who do visit your site are likely going to be much better qualified to do business with you.

Group keywords into buckets and prioritize them

As an HVAC or plumbing business, you probably have several different types of services you offer. To help keep your keyword research organized, it can be beneficial to divide them up into groups. For example, as a plumber you might have keyword buckets like “commercial,” “residential,” “emergency,” “water heaters,” etc. Make your buckets general enough to fit multiple terms but specific enough to be well-connected.

Once you’ve made different buckets of keywords, see where they align with your business goals. Ideally, you’ll find keywords that match up with the specific services for which you want to attract new clients.

Last word on keyword research for plumbing and HVAC Contractors

SEO may not be as challenging as an extremely technical medical or science process, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Before you spend any significant amount of time or money on SEO, you have to know what people are looking for. Keyword research is where you’ll uncover that answer.

To make the procedure more painless, you may want to consider working with an expert resource for assistance. Our team at Levergy has many years of experience working with all kinds of plumbers, HVAC companies and other contractors who do great work and want to help more people by improving their web presence.

Sound like you? Schedule a call now and learn more about how we can assist.